By Claudia Loucks
Geneseo Current

Area men are invited to the Men’s Health Morning Series presentation from 7 to 8 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 4, in the Hammond-Henry Hospital conference room. Detective Jamie Shoemaker, who is with the Geneseo Police Department, will present a program on the “IMPACT Task Force.”

Those attending may purchase breakfast in the hospital dining room. For information and to make a reservation, call 309-944-9112 or email hhhfound@hammondhenry.com . Parking is available in the east parking lot on Center St. Blood pressure screenings will be available. The Men’s Health Morning Series is sponsored by the Hammond-Henry Hospital Foundation.

In 2022 Detective Shoemaker began working to set up a mental health task force within the police department, and it was while she was working in the community and as a result of her training with crisis intervention that she realized more than just help for mental health was needed.

“During trainings it was brought to my attention that a person who suffers form mental illness can turn to substance use to self medicate, therefore making our task force not just about mental illness, but also substance use as well as crisis intervention. Every person we work with has different needs and different resources they need to help them.”

She said it has taken some time to collect a list of resources – whether it is for inpatient substance use detox, inpatient patient mental health, therapy, food, and possibly housing.